1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outer mirrors (or side mirrors) that are mounted on right and left of a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,641, U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,590 and English translation in epitome of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-034288 disclose conventional outer mirrors for a vehicle.
The disclosed outer mirror includes a base (11, 43, 11) fixed to a side surface of a vehicle body. A shaft (13, 2B, 64) is fixed to the base. A turning unit (17, 1, 14) with a turning member (18, 1A, 41) is turnably mounted on the shaft. A mirror assembly (10, 41, 13) is fixed to the turning member in such a manner that the mirror assembly (10, 41, 13) can turn around the shaft between a front retracting position and a rear retracting position. A stopper mechanism (27 and 26, 1B and 2D, 26 and 59, 87) limits a turning motion of the mirror assembly by the front retracting position and the rear retracting position. The base has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. The base is molded using a metal mold.
In the outer mirrors disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-034288, since the horizontal portion of the base is provided with the projection of the stopper mechanism, it is necessary to split the base into two pieces when the base is molded using a metal mold. Precisely, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, when a base 101 that has a horizontal portion 107 provided with a projection 102 of the stopper mechanism is to be produced, even if a slide metal mold 105 is used, the projection 102 of the base 101 and cavity 104 (female metal mold) interfere with each other, and the base 101 can not be separated from the cavity 104 (see the solid line with arrows on both sides in FIG. 18).
In the outer mirrors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,641, U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,590, it is necessary to split the base 101 when the base is molded using a metal mold so that the manufacturing cost increases. In FIGS. 17 and 18, a reference number 103 represents a core (male metal mold), and a reference number 106 represents the vertical portion of the base 101. In FIG. 17, hollow arrows show pulling-out directions of the core 103 and the slide metal mold 105.
Stopper mechanisms are exclusively provided for the outer mirror mounted on the left side (hereinafter, xe2x80x9cleft outer mirrorxe2x80x9d) and the outer mirror mounted on the right side (right outer mirror, hereinafter), respectively.
In the outer mirrors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,641, U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,590, since the turning unit is provided with the stopper mechanism, a turning unit provided with a stopper mechanism exclusively for a left outer mirror and a turning unit provided with a stopper mechanism exclusively for a right outer mirror are required. Therefore, in the former publications, there is a problem that one turning unit cannot be used for the left outer mirror and the right outer mirror.
It is an object of the present invention to solve at least the problems in the conventional technology.
The outer mirror for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base having a first portion fixed to a body of the vehicle and a second portion fixed to and extending from the first portion; a turning unit having a shaft fixed to the second portion and a turning member turnably mounted on the shaft; a mirror assembly fixed to the turning member and which can turn around the shaft between a front retracting position and a rear retracting position; and a stopper mechanism which limits a turning motion of the mirror assembly between the front retracting position and the rear retracting position. The stopper mechanism includes an arc groove, having two ends, provided in the second portion and a projection provided on the mirror assembly and which abuts against the ends of the arc groove to stop the turning motion of the mirror assembly.
Since the mirror assembly is provided with the projection and the base is provided with the arc groove, there is no projection of the stopper mechanism on the side of the base. Therefore, when the base is to be produced, the base and the metal mold do not interfere with each other, and the base can be molded by a metal mold in a usual manner. Since it is unnecessary to split the base into two pieces when the base is molded the metal mold, the cost of manufacturing becomes inexpensive as compared with the conventional outer mirror in which it is necessary to split the base into two pieces when the base is molded the metal mold.
The stopper mechanism is not provided on the turning unit but is provided on the horizontal portion of the base and the mirror assembly. A stopper mechanism for the left outer mirror and a stopper mechanism for the right outer mirror need not be provided on the turning unit, and they can be provided on the mirror assembly for the left base and the mirror assembly for the right base, respectively. Therefore, the turning unit can be used for both the left and right outer mirrors.
The other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are specifically set forth in or will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.